Furniture kit assembly and convertible unit therefrom



R. MASSE March 1, 1955 FURNITURE KIT ASSEMBLY AND CONVEETIBLE UNIT THEREFROM Filed 001;. 50, 1952 V INVENTOR.

ROLAND MA 5.95

/-//$ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 2 ,703,136 Patented Mar. 1, 1955 FURNITURE KIT ASSENIBLY AND CONVERTIBLE THEREFROM Roland Masse, Oakland, Calif. Application October 30, 1952', Serial No. 317,663 6 Claims. (Cl. 155-43 My invention relates to the field of furniture and more particularly to a furniture kit assembly and convertible unit fabricated therefrom.

Among the objects of my invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved furniture kit assembly;

(2) To provide a novel and improved convertible unit of furniture; 1

3) To provide a furniture kitassembly of component parts from which to: fabricate units of furniture of the modernistic type;

(4) Toprovide a furniture kit assembly of component parts for the fabrication of convertible furniture units, which. units may be readily assembled and subsequently converted when desired, into: units, of different character;

(5). To provide. a furniture kit assembly of component parts for the fabrication of furniture units, which kits permit of a convenient form for shipment of such furniture. units;

(6). To provide a noveland improved unit of furniture capable of being readily converted toa unit of furniture of different character.

Additional. objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a three-dimensional view of a unit of furniture in the form of a modernistic chair, assembled from the kit assembly of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the chair of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in section, taken in the plane 3-.-3 of Figure 2.;

Figure 4 is a side. elevational view of a unit of furniture employable. as a bench. or coffee table, and resulting from the conversion of the chair of Figure 1;;

Figure, 5 is a. three-dimensional. view of two detached pads employable in. the practice of the. present invention;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal view in section, through the assembly of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is, an underside. view of; the basic component of the kit assembly of the present invention;

Figure 8 is. a View of a type of spindle employable as legs and back-rest spindles in the. present invention.

Referring to the drawings for details; of my invention in. its preferred form, the same involves a basic component 1 inthe form of a supporting: sheet 3 of plywood or the like, of rectangular form and having dimensions rendering the same employable in the fabrication of a coffee table in which such supporting sheet will constitute the top. surface thereof.

Affixed to the undersurface of this supporting sheet, lengthwise thereof and in spaced relationship to each other, are a pair of ribs 5, which ribs should be of substantial depth to assure rigidity, in that they are intended to constitute the means for anchoring the legs and backrest spindles and, therefore, must be sufficiently rugged to withstand all the stresses and strains to which apiece of furniture is customarily exposed in use.

The legs and back-rest supports will be in the form of spindles 7, preferably of metal, such as aluminum for example, to permit of light weight, but strong spindles, and each such spindle will have one end thereof finished off on a taper. To anchor such spindles in their appropriate locations, the aforementioned ribs are provided with tapered recesses at such locations. Thus for anchoring the legs, a spindle recess 11 will be located adjacent each end of each rib, preferably at an angle to cause a divergence of the legs assigned to each rib, to thereby increase the stability and enhance the appearance of the unit of furniture to be fabricated from such components.

In the fabrication of such aforementioned coffee table, spindles of uniform length will be assigned to the various leg recesses and through this simple procedure, a unit will be available for use as a'coife table. To further enhance its appearance and utility, the supporting sheet may be provided with integral turned-down ends 13 wlgich will overlap the extremities of the aforementioned n s.

When it is desired to convert the coffee table unit into a unit for use as a comfortable chair of modernistic design, a pair of shorter spindles are preferably substituted for the legs at one end of the table to cause an angular position or slope of the supporting sheet. At the higher end is disposed a seat pad 15, and at locations adjacent the lower end of such seat pad a recess 17 is formed through the supporting sheet and into the upper edge of each rib to receive a spindle for use as a back-rest support. Such recess may be at an angle to provide for a sloping back-rest if desired, as illustrated.

Spindles, when inserted in the, back-rest recesses, are then bridged by the back-rest pad 19 having a pair of spindle-receiving sockets 21 formed on the rear wall or surface of the pad. Such sockets may be formed of the material from which the pad itself is fabricated.

In fabricating the aforementioned seat and back-rest pads, one edge of each isprovided with a half 23 of a zipper chain fastener, to enable both said pads to be fasrtened or zipped together along such edges and thereby provide the equivalent of a single pad having an area equal to the combined areas of both pads. Whenso combined; the resulting pad willjust about conformto the size and shape of the support-ingsheet, and by merely placing such resulting pad on the coffee table unit previously described, the unit will thereby be converted for use as a bench.

The. kit assembly of the present invention isadmirably adapted for use in small, efficiency apartments where space is at a premium. and requirements of conventional furniture cannot be accommodated. The ability under such. circumstances to quickly convert aunit of' furniture of one character to a. unit: of furniture of adifferent char acter as and when needed, as well as the ability to dis assemble such unitand pack away the components thereof into a small space, thus becomes highly desirable.

From the. above; description of my invention inits preferred. form, it will become apparent that the same fulfills all the objects. of my invention, and While I have described the. same in its preferred form'and in considerable, detail, the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from. the underlying principles involved, and I,. accordingly, do not desire to be limited in my protection to, such specific details as I have illustrated and described, except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim; a

1'. Means for the-fabrication of a modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic. component comprising. a support ing sheet of material having: a length greater than its width, a. pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said. sheet and. affixed to .the underside thereof in spaced. relationship to each. other, each, of said ribs having a recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a back-rest spindle, said sheet having its ends turned down over the ends of said ribs and having a hole in alignment with each spindle-receiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses.

2. Means for the fabrication of a convertible modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic component comprising a supporting sheet of material having a length greater than its width, a pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said sheet and affixed to the underside thereof in spaced relationship to each other, each of said ribs having a recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a backrest spindle, said sheet having a hole in alignment with each spindle-receiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses, a plurality of spindles, each having an end adapted to fit one of said recesses to provide legs and back-rest spindles a seat pad forming a cushion when disposed on said supporting sheet, said seat pad being of shorter length than said supporting sheet but of comparable width, :1 back-rest pad having a length corresponding to the width of said seal: pad, means incorporated in said back-rest pad for mounting the same on such back rest spindles following insertion of such spindles in the corresponding spindle recesses to provide a back-rest, and means for joining said back-rest pad along its length to said seat pad along its width to cover the entire area of said supporting sheet when said spindle recesses are free of spindles and the back-rest pad is laid horizontally on said sheet.

3. Means for the fabrication of a convertible modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic component comprising a supporting sheet of material having a length greater than its width, a pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said sheet and afiixed to the underside thereof in spaced relationship to each other, each of said ribs having a tapered recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a tapered recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a back-rest spindle, said sheet having a hole in alignment with each spindle-receiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses, a plurality of spindles each having an end tapered to fit one of such recesses to adapt such spindles for use as legs and back-rest spindles, a seat pad forming a cushion when disposed on said supporting sheet, said seat pad being of shorter length than said supporting sheet but of comparable width, a backrest pad having a length corresponding to the Width of said seat pad, means incorporated in said back-rest pad for mounting the same on such back rest spindles following insertion of such spindles in the corresponding spindle recesses to provide a back-rest, and means for joining said back-rest pad along its length to said seat pad along its width to cover the entire area of said supporting sheet when said spindle recesses are free of spindles and the back-rest pad is laid horizontally on said sheet.

'4. Means for the fabrication of a convertible modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic component comprising a supporting sheet of material having a length greater than its width, a pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said sheet and aflixed to the underside thereof in spaced relationship to each other, each of said ribs having a recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a backrest spindle, said sheet having its ends turned down over the ends of said ribs and having a hole in alignment with each spindle-receiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses, a plurality of spindles having ends adapted for insertion in said rib recesses to serve as legs and back rest spindles, a seat pad forming a cushion when disposed on said supporting sheet, said seat pad being of shorter length than said supporting sheet but of comparable width, a back-rest pad having a length corresponding to the width of said seat pad, means incorporated in said back-rest pad for mounting the same on such back-rest spindles following insertion of such spindles in the corresponding spindle recesses to provide a back-rest, and

means for joining said back-rest pad along its length to said seat pad along its width to cover the entire area of said supporting sheet when said spindle recesses are free of spindles and the back-rest pad is laid horizontally on said sheet.

5. A convertible modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic component comprising a supporting sheet of material having a length greater than its width, a pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said sheet and afiixed to the underside thereof in spaced relationship to each other, each of said ribs having a recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a back-rest spindle, said sheet having a hole in alignment with each upper edge spindlereceiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses, a spindle removably inserted in each of said rib recesses to serve as legs and back res-t spindles, a seat pad on said supporting sheet, said seat pad being of shorter length than said supporting sheet but of comparable width, a back-rest pad having a length corresponding to the width of said seat pad, means incorporated in said back-rest pad for removably mounting the same on such back-rest spindles following insertion of such spindles in the corresponding spindle recesses to provide a back-rest, and means for joining said back-rest pad along its length to said seat pad along its width to create a pad equal in area to the combined areas of said seat pad and said back-rest pad.

6. A convertible modernistic furniture unit; involving a basic component comprising a supporting sheet of material having a length greater than its width, a pair of relatively rigid ribs running longitudinally of said sheet and affixed to the underside thereof in spaced relationship to each other, each of said ribs having a tapered recess in the under edge thereof adjacent each end to removably receive a leg, and a tapered recess in the upper edge adjacent an end to removably receive a back-rest spindle, said sheet having its ends turned down over the ends of said ribs and a hole in alignment with each upper edge spindle-receiving recess in said ribs to permit of passage of such spindles therethrough and into said rib recesses, a spindle removably inserted in each of said recesses to adapt such spindles for use as legs and back-rest spindles, a seat pad disposed on said supporting sheet, said seat pad being of shorter length than said supporting sheet but of comparable width, a back-rest pad having a length corresponding to the width of said seat pad, socket means incorporated in said back-rest pad for mounting the same on such back rest spindles following insertion of such spindles in the corresponding spindle recesses to provide a back-rest, and means for joining said back-rest pad along its length to said seat pad along its width to create a pad equal in area to the combined areas of said seat pad and said back-rest pad when the spindles are removed and the back rest pad is placed horizontally on said sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,226 Rennack June 17, 1930 1,932,794 McArthur Oct. 31, 1933 2,397,286 OHearn Mar. 26, 1946 2,437,303 Molla Mar. 9, 1948 2,466,204 Brown Apr. 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 523,914 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1948 

